Members SLScott86 Posted November 21, 2012 Members Share Posted November 21, 2012 Apologies to the pros in the room. A lot of head-shaker situations in here. Yet I'm thrilled with how it went. I got there about 45 minutes before my 9:00 start. Setup went fine. I had the bass player from my band go back a bit and help me soundcheck, as I'd set my levels using a different mic. The beta being hotter, I turned the vocals down a tad. This is kind of boring. So moving on. I started on the button playing to the roughly 35 people who came to see me. Not too shabby, I'd say. That was huge. I had been much busier than I expected in the weeks leading up to the show, and really didn't prepare 1/5th as well as I had planned to. So I opened with one of the few songs I had down pat "The Old Apartment" by BNL. It went well, shaking out a few of the nerves. Then I went into American Girl. The first few chords went fine. Then my guitar's G-string broke. That, I was completely unprepared for. Lesson learned : BRING BACKUP STRINGS, YOU IDIOT! First break came way early, as our guitarist traveled home to get his guitar and some strings. That sucked. 15 minutes later, I'm back up and running. But feeling stupid and a little rattled. I did something that required a lot of gentle singing next, which was dumb because I think I let my nerves come through in my voice a little more. (As I research a little more, it sounds like Elixir G's can be more susceptible to breakage than others. Anyone else find this to be the case? I'm hoping so because I'm much more married to the guitar than the strings. First time I've ever broken one in standard tuning.) Over the course of the night, though, I got into my groove and people had a blast. A few things I took from it. I'm a slave to my ipad right now. Nobody seemed to care. At all. But I know it can be better if I can get away from that. For the love of all that is good bring backup stuff. Standing really helped to up the energy level in the room. Breaks are an absolute must for me and especially my voice. My friends think I'm funny Winners: Call Me Maybe Piano Man Kiss From a Rose Stay (Lisa Loeb) Beer in My Hand (I butchered this one badly) Footloose There were a lot more, the singalong factor was huge, but I forget which songs. All in all, I made the money I was hoping for, plus some nice tips, got a few ins at new bars, and I think I can keep doing this to quite a bit of success. It was a much more fun atmosphere than I imagined creating, so if I can get my songs down the way I should, I think I can do really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted November 21, 2012 Moderators Share Posted November 21, 2012 gig rule #1: prepare for every eventuality! Always have a second guitar, plus two sets of strings (I have broken the same string twice on a gig). Have a backup mic ...(long stupid story)...spare universal power supply...cables, etc.gig rule # 2: never let them see how nervous you are.Sounds like all in all, despite the string thing, this was a good first outing...congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted November 21, 2012 Members Share Posted November 21, 2012 Where was the gig? Was it a bar, restaurant, other? My guitar case is filled with strings, but I actually forgot my guitar once and had to beg someone to let me use theirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SLScott86 Posted November 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted November 21, 2012 Thanks! It was a bar/restaurant. The Oakwood Lounge in my tiny new hometown of Pewamo. The town's priest was just leaving the table right be the stage as I started loading in. But this being a Saturday, which I didn't mention it had shifted fully into bar mode and was pretty lively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MusicalSchizo Posted November 21, 2012 Members Share Posted November 21, 2012 I've used all different kinds of acoustic and electric polyweb and nanoweb Elixirs since they came out and have never noticed problems with G strings breaking. Or really any of their strings, for that matter, so long as any burrs in my saddles have been cleaned up (My Les Paul would pop B strings constantly until I cleaned up the bridge saddle on it, and now it never breaks strings). Glad you had a good show despite the frustrating things...it's important to not let the nerves take over. Just keep playing. I remember the first (and sadly, only) gig with the second version my hand-picked "Supergroup" from my days in Jacksonville - the keyboardist (who was great but who had never really gigged before) had gotten a flat on the way to the show, and was a bag of nerves. Then mid-show he had some problems with some sequences in his keyboard and was basically losing it - the nerves had taken over. As a "push the reset button" maneuver, I had him start one of the sillier songs we did (Biz Markie's "Just A Friend"), and we trudged through it by the end it had become complete FUN and his nerves were gone. The rest of the show was great. Rock on! Brian V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SLScott86 Posted November 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted November 21, 2012 It's weird how the band has done some pretty major shows that haven't gotten to me like the laid back bar, and karaoke do. The good news, I think, is that the string broke just in the middle, not at any point on the guitar, so I THINK it's just a freak thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Miko Man Posted November 21, 2012 Members Share Posted November 21, 2012 And now you have a story that during your first gig, your g-string broke while you were on stage performing. (And then you can explain it was your G-string on the guitar.). Mark C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted November 22, 2012 Members Share Posted November 22, 2012 I carry a full set of strings plus 3 x high E, 3 x B, 3 x G, and 2 x D. I also carry a spare strap (yes I've broken them), a spare mic IN my guitar case that STAYS there (as above, a long story), and a spare clip. In addition I carry a multidriver, pliers, a ten pack of picks, spare batteries for all gear on hand, extra power supplies, a flashlight, duct or gaff tape, bandaids, string cutters, cleaning cloth, an IEC cable that stays in my guitar case and a spare AC cable. I also try to keep change in my cable bag for parking... That's in addition to double the guitar and PA cables I will need. On mission critical gigs I will bring an extra guitar, an extra laptop, an extra PA head (small but functional), an extra mic stand, and I even have my sequences on my phone. Just about everything I carry I have needed at one time or the other. Oh yes, glad your gig went well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted November 22, 2012 Members Share Posted November 22, 2012 Congrats on your success and glad you have learned from it. To add to Shaster's great list I would always take some plasters or Band Aids as they are known in America. Cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldGuitarPlayer Posted November 24, 2012 Members Share Posted November 24, 2012 This is why I don't use Elixirs. I once had both the G and D string break within 2 hours of being brand new on my guitar. Never again. Now I use $5 a pack Martin 80/20's and never break a string even after hours of sweating and playing in all kinds of adverse conditions. Sure I have to change them more often but I really cannot afford to replace $20 sets of strings every day due to them breaking within hours of being put on the guitar.Congrats on the successful 1st gig and hope you have many more to come! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SLScott86 Posted November 26, 2012 Author Members Share Posted November 26, 2012 Originally Posted by OldGuitarPlayer This is why I don't use Elixirs. I once had both the G and D string break within 2 hours of being brand new on my guitar. Never again. Now I use $5 a pack Martin 80/20's and never break a string even after hours of sweating and playing in all kinds of adverse conditions. Sure I have to change them more often but I really cannot afford to replace $20 sets of strings every day due to them breaking within hours of being put on the guitar.Congrats on the successful 1st gig and hope you have many more to come! Thanks! It sounds like I'm pretty much in at a winery on their Thirsty Thursday and hour away, and at another bar about a half hour from me on weekends. Would be kind of a long drive on a weeknight, but I think that kind of a footprint would give me a bit more credibility and rate leverage more quickly than anticipated. I will need some video soon though, and will let you guys know when I do. I'm honestly a hack... But I'm a fun hack with a big voice.I have a few BOGO sets of EXPs on the way from Musicians Friend. I would have bought more than four if I knew I'd miss out on GC's black Friday deal on Martins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Capndar Posted November 29, 2012 Members Share Posted November 29, 2012 I am with daddymack gig rule #1: Always have a second guitar (on a stand, tuned and ready) mine's my little taylor electric; and back up mic (and my tip - fuses for the power amp supplies) gig rule # 2: never let them see how nervous you are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tinfish Posted November 30, 2012 Members Share Posted November 30, 2012 +1 on the extra batteries. most of us who gig a lot have taught ourselves that lesson. ALWAYS have a backup guitar too. guitars are much like women, the one you love isn't always the one that's going to perform the best for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted November 30, 2012 Members Share Posted November 30, 2012 Originally Posted by SLScott86 Thanks! It was a bar/restaurant. The Oakwood Lounge in my tiny new hometown of Pewamo. The town's priest was just leaving the table right be the stage as I started loading in. But this being a Saturday, which I didn't mention it had shifted fully into bar mode and was pretty lively. whats funny is that I am prolly the only guy on this forum that knows where pewamo is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SLScott86 Posted November 30, 2012 Author Members Share Posted November 30, 2012 It is a small world. It's the kind of place where we laugh at people who say they're from a "small town" of 4,000 people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted November 30, 2012 Moderators Share Posted November 30, 2012 Originally Posted by TIMKEYS whats funny is that I am prolly the only guy on this forum that knows where pewamo is. it is a postage stamp sized community right in the middle of Michigan... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted December 1, 2012 Members Share Posted December 1, 2012 That's funny. I live about 100 miles from Pewamo but I've never heard of it either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SLScott86 Posted December 1, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 1, 2012 That's going to be, like, 800 offended people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted December 1, 2012 Moderators Share Posted December 1, 2012 I regularly offend more than that at my wife's family reunions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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